Sony tape difference?
 

Anyone know if there is a difference between the Sony Premium tapes in the Orange wrapper vs the blue?

The numbers are different, they are made in different places (Mexico vs France), but other than that I can't tell.

A new place I started buying them sells only the orange, and I have had drop outs with them.

The original place I bought them (the blue ones) closed, and I'm thinking I might have to order on the net.

I wonder how many times thes tapes can be used i.e. once only or 100?

If and when I use tapes - which is not so often, as I mainly record on CF-cards - I use the 'Premium' type in the orange wrapper. I've never had any problems with these. But if you can afford it, buy the CF-recorder and use tape only as a backup. No drop-outs and saves you lots of time in capturing!

Thanks Luc

I don't know much about Sony tapes, but I have been using Panasonic professional MiniDV tapes. They're under $4 a pop at B&H, and IMHO $4 means that I never re-use a tape, so I don't have to worry about drop outs.

Any tape you can re-record onto, but even the most expensive tapes will have greater risks the more you use them.

The only tape that I have ever heard of anyone trusting for a thousands passes (re-recordings) is Digi-Beta. I knew a guy that worked on the Indiana Lottery, & they used the same Digi-Beta tape on a daily basis for a couple years w/o a problem.